Discussion on Parts 1-3

How is the reading going? Do you Love it!?!? I do!! I feel like I'm falling in love all over again! I love seeing everyone's thoughts and quotes on twitter! This Read Along has been really fun for me!

Head on over to Suey's blog! She is hosting this discussion post, and she has a twitter chat planned for tomorrow! She also has some fun questions to answer with a linky!

Here are my answers to her question!

1. What's your first impression of Death as a character/narrator?

I LOVE Death as a character! Having Death as a narrator is so unique and fun, and it gives the story the perfect feel. I love how Death notices small things, like colors and small acts. His perspective on life is very different, and I love it! Death is one of the things that makes this book so beautiful.

2. What's your first impression of the unique writing style?

Love it! It is very beautiful and poetic! It is a very unique style, and I feel like the whole story and the small individual sentences and thoughts are more powerful because of the unique writing style! Things stand out more! I often pause to ponder a small thought I just read. 

3. Which character stands out to you the most so far and why?

Liesel obviously stands out as the main character, but Hans Hubermann will always be my favorite. He is so tender and loving. I love how much he does for Liesel. The moment he started to comfort Liesel with her nightmare, he won me over! After the bed wetting, reading to Liesel, and teaching her to read, it was a done deal! Hans will forever be one of the greatest men in literature for me! 

4. What do you think the author is trying to say about the power of words?

Words are powerful! Words mean something. Words can comfort, scare, encourage, hurt, and so much more! To me, books and the written word is so special. It is beautiful and sacred. I think Liesel feels the same. To Liesel, I think words are strength and comfort. 

5. How do you feel about all the foreshadowing that's going on?

I use to hate it, but now it just feels right. The Book Thief would not be the same without the foreshadowing. It makes the events that just happened stand out more! It makes each moment mean more! Even though I know what is coming, I still cry at the end. I still don't want to believe it is coming. 

6. Also, how do you feel about all that German swearing?!? 

Ha ha ha! It makes me laugh! I love all the Saumensch and Saukerl going around! I laugh when Rosa goes on her rants, but it cracks me up even more that Liesel and Rudy have picked up on it too. 

7. What do you think about the relationship between Hans and Rosa?

I think their relationship is more typical than we think. I think Hans and Rosa love each other deep down. They go through, and have gone through, so much together. I think Rosa's mean demeanor is a front. I think she is protecting herself from everything going on around her, and I think Hans knows that. 

8. What do you think about the relationship between Rudy and Liesel?

The "thing" between Rudy and Liesel is cute! I love it! I think Rudy is a typical boy with a crush. He is mean to Liesel, but is also very caring. Deep down, I think Liesel has feelings for Rudy, but she just doesn't know it yet.

9.  What are your feelings on the politics of the time that we've seen so far?

I think it is sad. I've never stopped to think about Germans in Germany during WWII before. Some of them embraced the changes, and others were scared. I can't imagine how it would be to HAVE to support the tyranny whether you liked it or not. It would be awful. These people lived in constant fear. As we see with Hans and Hans Junior, the politics tore families apart. I was scared that Hans Junior might turn Hans in for not supporting the Nazi party. It is all very sad. 

10. What images and/or symbols stand out for you in this story so far?

Words and books obviously stand out to me. The fact that Liesel feels she has to steal books stands out. I think Death is more than just a character, he is also a symbol. Rudy's fascination with Jesse Owens is interesting to me. I don't know if Rudy likes Jesse Owens himself or if he just loves the idea of victory and being the best. The moment/image of Hans slapping Liesel has always stuck with me. It just makes my heart ache for both of them! It must have tortured Hans to do that, but he had to! 

Great questions Suey! They were kind of hard to answer!

Don't forget to stop over at Suey's blog!! We'll meet back here on Sept. 20 for a discussion about Parts 4-6! I'm excited! We get to read and talk about Max, and his influence on Liesel! These parts also have some fun illustrations by Max/Markus Zusak!

Insomnia

Goodreads Description:    Her eyes saved his life.
Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker's furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he'd go. And when someone begins to terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker's memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

My Thoughts:

-    I loved the whole concept and everything about this book, but I really wish it had gone in a different direction.

-    How did Parker get his curse? Living in someone's dream really intrigued me, and I wanted the story to focus more on Parker's curse. How does it work? Is there a cure? I really wanted Parker to try to figure it out more with the help of his friends. I hope the next book focuses more on that.

-    Parker turned into a real creep really fast. His addiction to Mia was more important to him than self preservation. The author must have done some good research on addiction/dependency cause she really captured it. 

-    I thought this book would be scarier, but it was more creepy than scary. I hope that made sense. I was more creeped out, like stalker and weird people creeped out than scared. There were definitely some thrilling moments, but nothing that gave me nightmares or kept me up at night. 

-    Speaking of creepy, there were some disturbing things in this book. It has some tough subjects. 

-    I thought this book was ok, but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I'm a little disappointed. Mostly because I wanted the story to focus on the curse and less about stalking Mia. 

Photo a Day

This month I'm participating in Rae Gun Ramblings' Photo a Day.

Here are my photos for this week!

Day 1: Time Off

Day 2: Swag

Day 3: Night

Day 4: Contemporary

Day 5: Driving

Day 6: Freebie

You can follow my photos on Instragram

Utah Book Month Bash

I know August is over but we have one more event!!

I hope I get to see you tomorrow!!

Although most of the UBM celebration happens online, some of it actually takes place IN UTAH, IN REAL LIFE. Please come and join us for our summer social. Whether you're a blogger, author, or anything in between WE WANT TO SEE YOU! Here are the details:

Utah Book Month Bash

Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

Wines Park in Lehi, Pavilion #3*

• Bring a small dessert to share; we'll provide plates/forks/napkins/cups/water.
• Bring ONE book (per attendee) to swap.
• We do have a pavilion with picnic tables, but you may also want to bring chairs or blankets for sitting on the grass.
• Families are welcome - there is a playground for kids.

*From I-15, take Lehi Main Street Exit. Turn west onto Main Street (toward Lehi Roller Mills). Turn right onto 100 East. Turn left onto 500 North. Pavilion #3 is in the southwest corner.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SPREAD THE WORD!

Sisters Red

From Goodreads:    Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

My Thoughts:

-    It was interesting, but then it got DUMB!!

-    I liked that one of the heroines was marred and scarred. It was different, new, and fun to read about a girl who isn't hot. I liked it. She was a hardened warrior, but was insecure about her looks. 

-    I really love the cover! It is fun and funky. I stare at it a lot.

-    I liked the contrast between the sisters. They were so different, but they really complimented each other. I liked how much they cared for each other and took care of each other. I was kind of a mean big sister, and I teased and picked on my little sis. I wish our relationship had been more like this, but I suppose that is what horrendous experiences does to people.

-    There was some heavy language, not frequent, but there were some f-bombs.

-    It took me a few chapters to really catch on to the time period. I knew they were in the now, but I kept picturing an old village from the dark ages kind of thing. Rose and Scarlett wore red cloaks, and hunted with axes and knives. Wouldn't people notice and gawk at that? Why didn't they hunt with guns? It would have been more proficient, and they wouldn't get cut up so much.

-    I didn't like how young Rosie was. The things she was doing and stuff. I wish she had been 18 and Scarlett 20, instead of 16 and 18. I especially didn't like Rosie's relationship with Silas because of the age difference. He was 21!! Hello!! That is illegal!! He shouldn't be going after 16 year olds! Gross!

-    The book was predictable, and I really don't like it when the story is predictable.

-    The ending was LAME!! I felt like it was a cheap Hollywood trick type of thing! It could have been handled differently. I was really disappointed! 

The Savage Grace

Goodreads Synopsis:    A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

My Thoughts:

-    This book was fantastic! I loved it! It was the perfect ending to this trilogy!

-    In the beginning there was so much pain and sadness. It was quite depressing, but then Grace realizes what she is meant to do, and the everything starts getting hopeful and happy!

-    I love how Grace reconciles her relationships and how she became so loving and compassionate. I want to be her friend!

-    There were some epic Buffy fights! I loved all the action and battle scenes! It was thrilling! Paranormal action is so much fun! All the characters were pushed to the limits, and the danger and fear was so tangible! More books need action like this!

-    I really love how everything was resolved. I feel like this ending was appropriate. It was hopeful yet solemn. There is one thing I still wonder about though. I'm sure there will be epic battles in the future for Grace and Daniel, but I'm happy with how everything ended. 

-    There was a bit towards the end that happened to be VERY similar to a Bible story. It is the one about an ear getting chopped off and a certain divine individual heals the ear. Ya, I noticed that! 

-    The character development from the first book to the end of this one was brilliant! I loved how Grace and Daniel's characters evolved. I loved the change that came over each character as they faced their own individual challenges. Jude's character was especially complicated, and I admit I cried for him. 

-    I really like the Divine family and the struggles they went through. I respect this family very much, and I can't even begin to understand how hard everything was for Grace's parents. It would be awful to see your children go through so many hardships. I think Grace's parents played their roles very well. They were there for their children, but ultimately let them do what they had to do regardless of the danger. 

-    I still saw and felt the Twilightish elements, but I've accepted it. I just tell myself this is like Twilight but good.

-    I think what I loved most about the series was that it wasn't just about a boy and girl in love. I wasn't just about werewolves. It was about people! It was about relationships, growing, challenges, forgiveness, heartache, redemption, and so much more! I loved all the morals and lessons! They way that Christianity is mixed into the story is well done and so uplifting. I felt good after reading each book. 

Previous Dark Divine Books

(Click on cover to see my thoughts)

 

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Eleven Books That You Wish Were Taught in Schools

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


Les Miserables by Victor Hugo


Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 


Any book by Jane Austen


Any book by Charles Dickens


The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster


Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
 

The Giver by Lois Lowry


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll


Matched by Ally Condie

Fairy Tale Read-a-Thon Kickoff

I know I'm a day late, but I had to post about The Book Thief yesterday!

I'm way excited to participate in another Fairy Tale Read-a-Thon hosted by Debz Bookshelf! Her blog is one of my favorites!

Here is are the books I plan to read this week:

  

  

Progress:

Day 1:

Books Read: 0

Pages Read:    202

Total Books Read:   0

Total Pages Read:   202

My Thoughts:   I didn't read as much as I wanted, but I think I made some good progress!

Day 2:

Books Read: 1

Pages Read:    142

Total Books Read:   1

Total Pages Read:   344

My Thoughts:   I spent most of the day with family, and didn't have very many opportunities to read, but at least I finished my book!

Day 3:

Books Read: 0

Pages Read:    40

Total Books Read:   1

Total Pages Read:   384

My Thoughts:   I am having a reading slump! I just don't feel like reading the books I picked! Ugh!

Day 4:

Books Read: 0

Pages Read:    161

Total Books Read:   1

Total Pages Read:   545

My Thoughts:   I found a book that was interesting, but sadly, it isn't a fairy tale retelling. At least I'm reading!

Day 5:

Books Read: 2

Pages Read:    382

Total Books Read:   3

Total Pages Read:   927

My Thoughts:   Woo! Today was a good reading day!

Day 6:

Books Read: 0

Pages Read:   132

Total Books Read:   3

Total Pages Read:   1059

My Thoughts:   I got nothing.

The Book Thief Read Along Kickoff!

WELCOME TO OUR READ ALONG!!!

I am co-hosting this fun adventure with my good friends Suey and Kathy. Make sure to stop by their blogs to see their kick off posts!

I'm so excited!

We have a lot of fun things planned!

Here is the schedule for the month:

Sept 10:  Suey will be hosting a discussion post on Parts 1-3. (That is 17 pages a day, in case you were wondering.)

Sept 20:  I will be hosting a discussion post on Parts 4-6. (That is about 18 pages a day.)

Sept 30:  Kathy will be hosting a discussion post on Parts 7-10. (That is about 20 pages a day.)

I hope that page break down will help you not feel too overwhelmed. You can read at your own pace, but if you wanted to read at a steady pace and stretch the book out over the month, I thought I'd show you the numbers.

We'll also be hosting twitter chats throughout the month! Make sure to check our discussion posts for details! We'll be using #bookthief for all our chats and any other tweets we send out! We are going to tweet our thoughts while we read, so you are welcome to join in that.

We will also be hosting some giveaways! You won't want to miss them!

For those of you who live in Utah around the Utah county area, we are going to get a group together to go see the movie in November! For those of you outside our area, maybe you can go at the same time as us, or get your own group together!

If you still want to join, it isn't too late!! You can still sign up on any of our sign up posts!

LET THE READING BEGIN!!!

The Lost Saint

From Goodreads:    A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to the The Dark Divine.

My Thoughts:

-    I don't know why I can't stop reading these! This is usually not my cup of tea!

-    I thought the beginning was a little slow, but it picked up and I couldn't stop reading. This book never left my side, and I read every chance I got. 

-    April is so dumb but fun. I find her really annoying, but she is a good friend, and I think Grace really needed her. April reminded me A LOT of Tomoya from Cardcaptor Sakura. Kudos to Brodi Ashton for her input on a bling bling stake! ha ha!

-    I don't know what to think about Daniel and Grace's relationship in this one. I hated it, but I understood it. Every relationship has bumps, and I'm glad they reconciled and became closer because of their struggles, but I hated the lying and poor choices. 

-    How old are Grace and Daniel? Aren't they too young to know what true love is? I can't really complain though, I started dating my hubby when I was 18, but I was out of High School and in College. I don't really know how I feel about this. 

-    I really like the Christian messages in these books. I think religion gives guidance and comfort to people, and this story really shows that. I really liked the theme of helping others and being good Samaritans. I wish my school/seminary had a service project like the one in this book.

-    There was a lot more action and violence in this book, and I LOVED IT!! The epic demon killing was fun! I also liked the battle at the end.

-    This book was very Buffy the Vampire Slayerish. I liked it! It was also Twilightish, which I hated. 

-    I liked the new characters, and I liked that I didn't know who to trust or not. Little warning signs went off in my head about a couple of them. I liked the added suspense of not knowing who the enemy really was. 

-    Grace made a lot of poor choices. I get that most of it was the wolf inside, but I'm glad she got a little kick in the butt at the end. Her pride was getting the way, so I'm glad she was humbled and realized what was going on. 

-    I figured a love triangle would appear, but I REALLY didn't want it to. Oy! Why? Why do books have to do this!? We've already established that Daniel and Grace have "true love" for each other, so lets just leave them alone! 

-    The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I think I'll go devour the 3rd book now!

Previous Book in Trilogy

(Click on cover to see my thoughts)